Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology of determining the concentration of sulfur components contained in fuel in an internal combustion engine.
Description of the Related Art
As a method for detecting the concentration of sulfur components contained in fuel in an internal combustion engine, there has been proposed one in which an SOx sensor for detecting an amount of sulfur compounds (SOx) contained in exhaust gas is disposed in an exhaust passage at a location downstream of an exhaust gas purification device, so that the concentration of sulfur components contained in the fuel is detected based on a measured value of the SOx sensor at the time of raising the temperature of the exhaust gas purification device to a temperature range in which SOx desorbs from the exhaust gas purification device (see, for example, a first patent literature).
In addition, as the method for detecting sulfur components contained in fuel in an internal combustion engine, there has also been proposed another one in which a catalytic material or an adsorbing material, of which the oxidizing ability is decreased due to sulfur poisoning, is coated to an exhaust gas temperature sensor, and sulfur components in fuel are detected based on a measured value of the exhaust gas temperature sensor (see, for example, a second patent literature).